Crutch



(No. Model.)

B. W. PRANTZ.

ORUTGH. No. 557,572. Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

E 71 E 15. E 75 WITN ESSES- NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER XV. FRANTZ, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CRUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,572, dated April 7, 1896. Application filed January 26,1895. Serial No. 536,319. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELMER W. FRANTZ, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Orutches, of which the following is a description.

This invention relates to an improvement in crutches.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple, durable, and economical crutch by utilizing certain improved means,whereby the jar and impact caused by coming into contact with the pavement or the like will be reduced to a minimum.

My invention consists in a certain construction and arrangement of the parts hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a crutch constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the power portion of the crutch, showing the manner in which the movable member is secured thereto; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of the movable member detached.

The upper portion of the crutch may be constructed in any ordinary or preferred form, and therefore needs no further description.

The members 20f the crutch are held ata suitable distance apart at their lower ends by means of a spacing block or blocks 3, which blocks serve also as a stop to limit the up or down movement of a spring-pressed or movable member of the crutch.

The numeral 4 indicates the spring-pressed member suitably arranged between the lower ends of the said member 2 and is provided with a reduced upper end 5 and a slot 6, through which latter, when the member 4 is in position, the spacing block or blocks 3 project, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, in order to prevent the movable member from becoming detached from the crutch. Upon the reduced portion 5 is placed a coiled spring 7, the lower end of which bears upon the shoulder 8 and the upper end upon the under side of a stay-piece 9, which latter, being provided with an opening at or near its center,receives the reduced portion of the movable member and acts as a guide for the same during its up and down movement, and at the same time serves to prevent spreading of the members 2 when pressure is applied thereto.

The spacing-blocks are secured between the side members 2 of the crutch by means of suitable bolts having screw-thre'aded ends, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be understood that the spring 7 is possessed of suflicient rigidity to allow the member 4 to yield gradually to pressure and thereby prevent any sudden jar which would result if the spring were of a weaker character. The lower or contacting end of the crutch is provided with an ordinary ferrule 10, the function of which is well understood.

It is evident that this invention may be readily applied to crutches of the ordinary construction at a nominal figure.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A crutch having its members held at a suitable distance apart at their lower ends by means of a spacing block or blocks, bolts for securing the block or blocks between said members, a movable member having arecess adapted to receive the spacing block or blocks and through which they are passed to hold the movable member in position, said movable member having its upper member reduced, a coiled spring surrounding said reduced portion, and a staypiece passing through the side members of the crutch and serving to hold the spring in position at its upper end, and, also, serving as a guide for the upper portion of the member, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER W'. FRANTZ. Witnesses:

H. T. PRITOHARD, GEORGE J. Horr. 

